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Lemon-Garlic Green Bean Sauté (GF)

In our humble opinion, Thanksgiving dinner wouldn’t be complete without a side of deliciously prepared fresh green beans!

And although green bean casserole is a classic at this time of year, for those with certain food allergies (or those counting calories), it’s not the best option to put on the table.

That’s why we love this simple, yet delectable dish that truly showcases the flavor of fresh green beans. In fact, this easy-to-make recipe is one we enjoy over and over throughout the year!

Lemon-Garlic Green Bean Sauté (GF)

Yield: 5-6 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh green beans
2 tbsp butter, plus 1 tbsp olive oil (if DF, use 3 tbsp olive oil)
1-2 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp lemon zest
sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Snap off ends of green beans and rinse well. In a large bowl, prepare an ice-water bath.
Bring a stockpot of water to a boil. Then add the green beans and cook until color is set and green beans are slightly tender (about 2-3 minutes).
Drain and transfer green beans to the ice-water bath in order to stop the cooking process. Drain again. Set blanched green beans aside. (See time-saving tip below.)
Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until just fragrant, about one minute.
Add the blanched green beans and lemon zest. Toss well to coat. Cover skillet and allow beans to warm about 1-2 minutes, until desired softness is reached. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Transfer to a simple serving platter and enjoy!

Notes

Time-Saving Tip: To save time on the big day, blanch the green beans the day before and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Then, follow recipe instructions to sauté them just before you're ready to serve dinner.

https://thenourishinghome.com/2013/11/lemon-garlic-green-bean-saute-gf/

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Easy Mac-n-Cheesy (GF option)

By Kelly · 10 Comments

Oh so creamy! This easy-to-make mac-n-cheese will bring smiles to your kiddos faces, and yours too!

This month as part of my Kids in the Kitchen Summer School Series, I’ve been jazzed about sharing some quick and healthy whole food recipes perfect for cooking with kids! And this Easy Mac-n-Cheesy is no exception! So simple and delicious, there is no need to open a box, when you can make it yourself in virtually the same amount of time using nutritious real food ingredients!

Reader Recommendation! Nourishing Home subscriber Sharon recommends tossing in your favorite protein-rich add-ins such as diced grilled chicken, ham, ground beef, bacon or chorizo. And, why not add some healthy veggies too, such as broccoli, chard, kale, collards or spinach. Brilliant!

Easy Mac-n-Cheesy (GF Option)

Yield: 5-6 servings

Ingredients

12 oz. of your favorite whole grain or GF elbow pasta
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup heavy cream (preferably raw or pasteurized only, not ultra pasteurized)
1/2 cup whole milk (preferably raw or pasteurized only, not ultra pasteurized)
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
6–8 oz grassfed sharp cheddar cheese (depending on how cheesy you like it)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Cook pasta according to instructions. While pasta is cooking, grate cheese and measure out the cream and milk. Collect remaining ingredients to have ready.
Once pasta is al dente, make sure to reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Then drain the cooked pasta and rinse thoroughly with cool water. Set aside.
Using the same saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter and add the cream, milk and cheese. Stir constantly until smooth and creamy. Then mix in the dry mustard, salt and pepper.
Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and stir well to combine. To thin out the sauce, add one tablespoon at a time of the reserved pasta cooking water while stirring, until desired consistency is achieved.
If adding extras like cooked diced meats or veggies, simply stir them in and enjoy!

Notes

Make it a healthy meal by mixing in your favorite diced meats and some wholesome greens and veggies too! See photo above for some nutritious and delicious add-in ideas!

https://thenourishinghome.com/2013/07/easy-mac-n-cheesy/

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Crispy Zucchini Sticks w/Creamy Avocado Dip (GF)

By Kelly · 2 Comments

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing a new eCookbook published by a few of my wonderful real foodie friends. It’s called *The Veggie Book – a wonderfully thorough resource full of delicious recipes and helpful tips on all things veggie! (*See note below about affiliate links.)

Co-authors Debra {Sweet Kisses & Dirty Dishes} and Sara {Your Thriving Family} asked if I’d be willing to test a few of the recipes and so I intentionally chose a couple that included ingredients I’ve been struggling to get my boys to eat. Yes, I’m a tough cookie! LOL!

I’m pleased to share that this recipe is one of my boys favorites and is honestly the first recipe I’ve found that gets them excited about eating zucchini. In fact, we even came up with our own tasty variation to the recipe which I’m also sharing below. So as you can probably guess, we’re pretty excited about giving many more of the recipes in this book a try!

*The Veggie Book contains more than 50 recipes that are easy-to-make and utilize common everyday ingredients. The majority of the recipes are cooked veggie recipes prepared using common techniques such as roasting, sautéing, baking and grilling. The main veggies featured in the book include: asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, green beans, kale, spinach, peas, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and zucchini.

So if you’re interested in finding more ways to get your family {kids} to eat more veggies, then this book is for you!

*Disclosure: If you opt to purchase using any of the affiliate links in this post, a small portion of the sale goes to support The Nourishing Home at no additional cost to you. There is no obligation to purchase, but if you do, you are helping to support the free resources, meal plans and recipes here at The Nourishing Home. Thank you!

Crispy Zucchini Sticks w/Creamy Avocado Dip (GF)

Yield: 4 servings

This wonderful recipe is just one of the many easy-to-make recipes featured in The Veggie Book – a comprehensive guide to getting more veggies on your family's plate!

Ingredients

2 large organic zucchini
1 1⁄2 cups GF breadcrumbs (or blanched almond flour)
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried dill weed
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 cup whole milk yogurt
1 large egg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
Remove the ends and cut zucchini lengthwise into 6 strips.
In a medium shallow bowl, mix together the almond flour, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt and pepper.
In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together the yogurt and egg.
Dredge each zucchini spear in the wet mixture, shaking off excess. Then dredge in the dry mixture, making sure to well coat.
Place zucchini spears cut side up on parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle a small amount of butter over each spear. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
Serve with Homemade Ranch Dressing or Creamy Avocado Dip (recipe in notes below). Be sure to check out my Crispy Parmesan Zucchini Sticks variation below. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe Variation – Crispy Parmesan Zucchini Sticks: Reduce the 1 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs (or almond flour) to 1 cup, and add 1/2 cup grated parmesan to the dry mixture and omit the dill. Follow the rest of recipe as outlined above. Serve with warm marinara sauce. SO YUMMY!

Creamy Avocado Dip: In a medium bowl, mash together the following ... 2 avocados, 1/4 cup cultured sour cream (or whole milk yogurt), juice of one lime, 1 clove of minced garlic and 1/2 tsp of sea salt. Allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld. Or add the avocado pits to the top, cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours. (This is a thick dip. To make it a little thinner for more delicate dipping items, thin with a few tablespoons of water.)

https://thenourishinghome.com/2013/06/crispy-zucchini-sticks-wcreamy-avocado-dip-gf/

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